Game apparatus.



J. T. FENTON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 5, 1910.

1,003,589. Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES T. FENTON, O F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

GAME APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, JAMEs T. FENTON, citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to game apparatus,

and the chief objects of the improvements which constitute the subject matter of this application for patent are :to provide a novel and amusing device by means of which a variety of games may be played; to produce a game apparatus that will entertain and interest observers other than the participants in the game; and to provide a device that can be used as a toy being adapted to gain and hold the attention by the novel gyratory movements set up therein by proper manipulation.

l accomplish the desired objects by employing the devicd illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application, the details of construction being disclosed in the following views Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved game apparatus in one of its forms in which the balls are connected by a single cord; Fig. 2 shows the balls connected by two parallel cords, and Fig. 3 illustrates a similar construction in which the cords are attached to each ball at diametrically opposite points.

Referring to the details of construction the numeral 5 indicates a pair of balls of suitable size, attached together by a flexible connection consisting of a cord 6. The balls 5 may be solid or hollow and may be made of any suitable material,a wood of light weight being preferred for this purpose. The cord 6, I prefer to make of some highly elastic material, such as rubber. The said cords are connected to the balls in any suitable manner, a convenient and eflective method being shown in Fig. 1, which consists in inserting the end 7 of the cord in a hole bored in the ball to receive it and then driving into the hole alongside the cord a peg or wedge 8, which will compress the cord and hold it firmly in place. Upon the surface of the balls are painted or otherwise applied a series of numerals 9, which are arbitrarily selected and are intended to be used for counting points, or tallying when a game is played in the manner hereinafter Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5, 1910.

Patented Sept. 19,

Serial No. 595,552.

described. These numerals or figures are preferably arranged in symmetrical order with reference to each other, and of sufficient size to be readilyobserved so that their numerical values may be easily determined.

In Fig. 2 I have shown two balls 5 similar to those above described, but attached together by a double connection consisting of two elastic cords 6, 6 having their ends attached to the balls in the same manner as shown in Fig. 1. The attachments of the cords are placed a short distance apart upon the balls so that the cords will be parallel when the balls are at rest in the inoperative position shown in the figure in full lines. Similar balls are illustrated in Fig. 3 where they are shown connected by two elastic cords, 6, 6", which in this instance are shown attached to each ball at diametrically opposite points, 10.

The object of attaching the cords to different points is to cause more effective movements of the balls when operated, and when two cords are thus used the result will be to increase the duration of the gyratory movements of the balls when spun in the manner to be described.

The device is operated in the following manner :.-One of the balls is held a short distance above a table or other plane surface, and the hand holding the ball is given a quick circular movement which will cause the other ball to describe a larger circle at the end of the connecting cord. The ball in the hand is held close to the table so that the outer ball will be constantly in contact with the plane surface and the friction will cause one ball to rotate rapidly and twist the cord in the manner shown in Fig. 2 in dotted outlines, which particularly illustrates the effect when two ends are used to connect the balls. When the elastic connect-ion is sufficiently twisted, the operator releases the balls, allowing the one, in his hand to fall upon the table. The cord will immediately untwist and the force thus applied will cause both balls to rotate rapidly at an equal rate, while they will spin around a common center located at some point in the elastic connection. When the cord becomes untwisted the momentum acquired by the balls will twist the cord in the reverse direction until the force is spent and the balls come to a temporary rest, when the cord will again untwist and cause the balls to rotate in the former direction and this alternate twisting and untwisting will continue with the corresponding movements of the balls until the force first imparted is spent and the apparatus comes to a complete rest. If a game is being played theone who spins the balls will note the numbers which are uppermost on the balls when they come to a stop and these added together will be his tally for that spin.

Various methods of counting or tallying 2. A game apparatus comprising a pair of balls, an elastic connection between said balls, and numerals arranged symmetrically upon the surfaces of the balls.

3. A game apparatus consisting of a pair of balls, a flexible connection between said balls, said connection comprising two parallel elastic cords, and numerals arranged upon the surfaces of said balls.

4. A game apparatus consisting of a pair of balls, a flexible connection between the said balls, said connection comprising two elastic cords having their ends attached to each ball at diametrically opposite points,

and numerals symmetrically arranged upon the surfaces of said balls.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES T. FENTON. Witnesses ROLAND GIBSON, JAMES D. LAMB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

